


The Last Dragon: Flight

by satbiym



Series: The Last Dragon [2]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, Consensual Kidnapping, Dragon Katsuki Yuuri, Explorer Victor Nikiforov, Famous Victor Nikiforov, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Scientist Victor Nikiforov, Scientist Yuri Plisetsky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2019-11-16 05:15:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18088121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/satbiym/pseuds/satbiym
Summary: “Beware traveller, for here be dragons…”I sure fucking hope so, Victor thought as he pushed open the door to the fenced off caves.Upon being commissioned to make a serious documentary on dragons by a rich tycoon; famous scientist, Victor Nikiforov was determined to rise to challenge and overcome all barriers that stood in his way; even if one of those barriers was the fact that dragons didn’t technically exist.A rumour of a so-called dragon skeleton has Victor rushing to film the results, only, the skeleton brings more questions than answers. Every scientist worth their salt knows not to bias their results with personal opinions, but...Dragons aren’t real, right?Although, the blue dragon in front of him is pretty convincing evidence to the contrary.Written for the YOI Isekai Zine





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a continuation for the piece originally written for the [Isekai Zine](https://isekaiyoizine.tumblr.com). You don’t need to have read that fic for this to make sense though. Everything will be explained as time goes on.
> 
> This story is largely inspired by the documentary: [Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FIDeOOL52Q) (Check it out! It’s amazing!!). Every other scene is an excerpt from that documentary. 
> 
> This chapter is from WWV server's prompt 95: _“There’s no going back if we do this.”_
> 
> This fic is a collab with the ever amazing Cerise, you can find a preview of their art for this piece [here](https://twitter.com/OpaleDeFeuAC/status/1094335082360459265)! 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this story at least as much as I enjoyed creating it for you all!
> 
> Happy Reading!

_No creature above all others has haunted our imagination, on land and in the air, like the dragon._

_Dragons have left their mark in the folklore of our ancestors, but what if these fantastic stories were more than myth?_

_What if the legends of these magnificent creatures were true…_

* * *

The locals called Hasetsu 'inauspicious', steering clear of it and making sure it remained undisturbed by both man and machine. Unfortunately, the advent of progress and the greed of man waits for none, and eventually, eyes turned towards Hasetsu to satisfy the need for _more, more, more._

They laughed off the warnings of the locals and dismissed their stories as ramblings of the uneducated, for who else would cite _folklore_ as reason enough to throw away potentially millions of dollars in real estate?

Palms were greased, permits were signed and companies were hired to build the next iteration of the future.

The engineers responsible for construction expected to find only overgrown flora and fauna, something they knew how to handle. But what they didn't expect was to find themselves right in the middle of a centuries-old crime scene.

The Chief Engineer took off his hard-hat and resisted the urge to curse as the smell of vomit mixed with the already putrid smell of human remains. This project had just gotten a lot more complicated.

* * *

_This is the story of a unique family that survived from the time of the dinosaur to make a final stand four hundred years ago, a scientific exploration of a remarkable species..._

* * *

"Victor Nikiforov, you have been the face of Paleontology and are considered one of the most important scientists of this millenium. We are curious - what do you think about when you're in the field, trying to discover something?" The talk-show show asked, as the children around them, visible even though the bright stage lights, screamed their approval.

Victor smiled a bit and straightening his glasses, said, "To be honest, Ellen, I try not to predict what I might find as this might taint my results and may even make me unable to see what's right there in front of my eyes, simply because it didn't fit with my worldview. I prefer to choose science over emotions in that sense."

Ellen laughed, sounding delighted, and chimed, "There you have it, folks! From the mouth of one of the best scientists in recent history! Don't taint the results!"

"Well that, and remember kids, the only difference between science and messing around is..." Victor said, lilting and urging.

_"Writing it down!"_ the audience shouted back.

"Beautiful!" Ellen said, miming wiping away a tear, "You are all wonderful scientists! And with that we take a break before we come back and Victor here will show us how to properly excavate during a dig and who knows what we'll find there..."

Victor kept smiling as commercials rolled and the makeup artist came over to refresh his look, silently handing over a tissue to Victor's murmured thanks.

"The lights, huh?"

Victor looked over at Ellen and huffed out a wry laugh, "Yeah, even after doing this for five years, my eyes still tear up."

Leaning forward, she said, "Well, despite them, you did a wonderful job today. But now that the cameras are off, I am curious about something…"

Forcing his smile from stilting, Victor quirked an eyebrow and gave her a nod to go ahead, affecting curiosity despite knowing the question.

"I guess, what I really want to know is - what can we expect next from Victor Nikiforov?" Ellen asked, unaware of the dread pooling in Victor's gut.

Victor hummed, as if considering the question, and with a tone that belied the reality that this very question had lead to many sleepless nights, said, "To be honest, I don't know myself. My field is highly dependent on nature, and nature is the most imaginative creator of them all. You could either try to constrain it by leasing it like a wild horse or make sure you've held on tight and enjoy the ride. Personally, I prefer allowing myself to be surprised. It's more fun that way."

"And make sure you don't fall off, yeah?" Ellen asked mischievously, shattering the ice around Victor's throat.

Victor laughed, and nodded, "Oh, yeah, that too."

Ellen shook her head, amused, "Ever the diplomat. Fine. Keep your secrets, Victor Nikiforov, I guess I'll just have to wait, like the rest, for your next act."

* * *

_… This is the natural history of the most extraordinary creature that never existed._

* * *

Victor resisted the urge to fidget as the helicopter began its descent, he hadn't expected to wake up this morning to a message from the office of the CEO of Paladin Ventures requesting his presence at his earliest availability. Considering Paladin Ventures was responsible for his current multi-million dollar grant that enabled him to continue his research while maintaining his freedom from the leashes of academia…

Let's just say, Victor's earliest availability was suddenly a lot sooner than it had been yesterday.

And if the haste with which the helicopter had been sent over at his acquiescence, the media mogul who was responsible for more than half the world's research funding in areas like paleontology, history and restoration, was just as eager to meet him.

Victor could feel his stomach twist, a sensation that only visited him whenever he was on the cusp of something life-changing, he had a feeling that this meeting was going to be the answer he had been looking for.

"We're here, sir. The Paladin is waiting for you." The pilot said, pointing outside, where a seemingly ordinary man stood, smile visible even from the helicopter.

The man waved on seeing them, and ran towards them, opening the chopper's door before anyone else could and shouted over the noise of the blades.

"There you are, Victor! I have a mission for you and it's all our dreams come true!"

* * *

_As a kid, I was mad about dragons;_

_Dragons from the high seas, flying dragons from Greenland, fire-breathing dragons from Europe and here's the thing that got me, these myths came from all over the world, right? From cultures that could never have met and yet from the Andes to the Himalayas you could hear stories of dragons and…_

_Here's a kid's best guess, the only way that's possible is if the stories were real._

* * *

Victor, seated in a helicopter for the second time in 24 hours, was still reeling from the information he had received, been commanded to verify and document.

_They've found something, in Japan. Something the Japanese government is very hush-hush about, but I was able to finagle a first look at. Of course, if it turns out to be a hoax… but anyway! If it is what the rumours say it is… well then, it would all have been worth it. I need you to go and bring back all you find._

Victor closed his eyes, when he remembered the fanatic and helpless excitement on the Paladin's face, like this was the break he had been looking for.

But, empathy or not, Victor couldn't see how what the Paladin had told him could possibly be true. There was just no way that-

"Do you believe the story the Richie Rich's trying to sell us, Baldie?" a voice said, aggressive in intent and content.

Eyeing the pilot who was still focused on flying, _thank god,_ Victor smiled and lightly said, "Nature isn't constrained by our imagination, Yura. Remember-"

"Yeah, yeah," Yuri asserted derisively before laying a hand on his chest and as if reciting an oft-repeated phrase, " _Don't predict what you might find as this might taint the results_ _yada, yada, yada._ Yes. I've heard the press spiel, Victor, but you cannot tell me you seriously believe him?! All rich people have their eccentricities. His is just sending us on a pointless goose chase."

Victor laughed lightly, "Why Yura, I didn't know you watched my interviews!"

Despite the rage emanating from Yuri's silence, Victor, from the backseat, could see the way Yuri's ears went red.

"You - shut up! You're insufferable! And impossible to avoid, you're everywhere, it's disgusting!" Yuri spluttered, ears still a bright cherry red.

Victor opened his mouth to parry back, but was cut off by a curt sound from the pilot. They turned, only to see a barren wasteland that looked as though it had been abandoned in a hurry, greet them welcome.

They had, it appeared, arrived in Hasetsu.

And by the uniformed person waiting for them, they had a welcoming party.

Victor got off the helicopter, but the noise and wind weren't enough to block out the first words from the person outside's mouth.

"I don't know what you're expecting to find here Dr. Nikiforov, but this ain't like your usual kind of dig."

Victor smiled wanly as Yuri cursed lowly behind him as he carried the equipment out of the helicopter, and stepped forward to shake the uniformed policeman's hand, replying "Thank you for your concern, but there is always something that can be learnt from every experience. What happened exactly?"

The policeman just shook his head, gesturing toward them to follow him, said "Then I'm afraid, this is something you need to _experience_ yourself to understand. I'm the Chief of Police around here, but even I haven't seen anything like this. Come on then, might as well get right to it."

Bemused, Victor followed along, with a grumbling Yuri behind him.

As they walked into the forest, the trees becoming denser and more untouched by the machinations of the contractors, the Chief explained, "We told the higher-ups that this forest was cursed. For centuries no one has ventured up here, and we were right not to! For look what they found!"

Yuri sighed irritably, "You're trying to tell me that some centuries-old human remains were enough to warn an entire village off of the forest? You've _got_ to be kidding me."

Victor sent Yuri a warning look, as the Police Chief shuddered, "It wasn't the _human_ remains that were the problem, young man."

"Eh?" Yuri said, forehead beaded with sweat from carrying around the equipment under the hot sun, but the Chief wasn't willing to answer any further questions.

They walked into a forest that seemed almost regal in its staid dignity, sun filtering through the trees and the chirping of the birds. If it wasn't for Yuri's continued grumbling, Victor would have thought he had entered a whole new world. They walked deeper until the light of the sun was almost blocked by the overarching trees, forcing Victor to rely on his torch.

The ruins emerged from the trees, tall and proud, despite the weight of the years and beseeching weather.

Even Yuri couldn't stifle a gasp as they walked towards the almost palatial dwelling that the ruins seemed to be built around, the stones in the path glittering.

"What-" Yuri started to ask, before he gasped, almost dropping the equipment he was carrying.

Victor was distantly aware of the Chief praying beside him, but even the proximity of the noise couldn't make him turn his eyes away from the scene in front of him.

Dark marks surrounded the center dwelling, across the glittering paths, burning its way through the tens of hundreds of fallen human bodies on the ground.

But, that wasn't what gave them all pause.

_It wasn't the human remains that were the problem, young man._

"Is that - What _are_ that those?!" Yuri shrieked as he pointed at the _other_ remains strewn around the dwelling.

Victor had always believed that nature could not be predicted or contained, but even he couldn't believe the sight in front of him: skeletons with bone structures he had never seen before, with the smallest one towering over them, as tall as a skyscraper and just as slim.

Victor slowly set his bag down to investigate further, only to have his arm be grabbed by Yuri.

"What do you think you're doing?" Yuri exclaimed, eyes wide.

"What I was sent here to do, Yura." Victor said gently.

"No! This isn't your job, this is- is- something neither one of us signed on for! It's unnatural!" Yuri said shrilly, still staring at the skeletons with a frantic look in his eyes.

"Yura." Victor said simply.

At that, Yuri seemed to remember himself, eyes losing their bewilderment, but he still clutched Victor's arm tighter, unwilling to let go.

"Yura." Victor tried again, and said evenly, "We are scientists. It is our responsibility to make sense of the seemingly unnatural. Even if it means that our lives will never be the same again, we must move forward and tell the story that is true and not just the story we want to hear. Now, I am going to _figure_ _this out,_ I cannot promise what we'll find, but… if you want, you may take the helicopter back home if you so choose."

Yuri for the first time since they'd seen them, looked away from the skeletons, and back at Victor, studying his face for a moment before shaking his head and ruefully murmuring, "There's no going back if we do this, is there? _"_

Victor let his silence be Yuri's answer.

Yuri took a deep breath, released Victor's arm and with finality, nodded, "Alright then, let's see what we can dig up."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yuri Plisetsky meets Dragon Prince Yuuri.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!!
> 
> So, this is technically chapter 3 in this series, chapter 2 is in the [Isekai Zine](https://isekaiyoizine.tumblr.com), but you don't need to have read chapter 2 to be able to understand this series. But if you are interested, Chapter 2 which contains Yuuri and Victor's first meeting in this series, is in Isekai Zine's NSFW edition.
> 
> [Isekai Zine's pre-orders are open till April 30th 2019!](https://isekaiyoizine.tumblr.com/post/183886563264/isekaiyoizine-the-isekai-another-world-zine) So, grab it while it's hot!
> 
> Happy Reading!

So, maybe following the clue he had found in Hasetsu to some remote caves in the Himalayas, grabbing a torch and leaving Yuri behind - _just in case -_ and deciding to explore the caves without any recon or preparation, hadn't been been the world's best idea.

But, if this was an example of the repercussions of poorly thought out decisions, well then… Victor wasn't going to be learning his lesson any time soon.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Yuri Plisetsky said, voice trembling with barely restrained rage, "You decided to go to the caves that we _both_ had agreed to not go into until we had a handle on the situation."

Victor smiled weakly at Yuri, ignoring the stare boring into him.

"Yura, I-"

"And then, you _decided_ to not even tell me about it and instead went alone, into caves we haven't mapped and whose structural stability we don't know anything about." Yuri continued mercilessly, cutting him off.

Victor took a step back, the heat by his side dissipating slightly - _How hot did this guy even run?_ \- and tried to plead his case, "Yura-"

Yuri kept talking, voice much like a freight train picking up in speed and strength, until it crescendoed into a loud shout, "And now you're back with an _entire motherfucking_ _dragon by your side?!_ "

Silence.

"Would you rather he have half a, what did you call it? "Motherfucking dragon" by his side?" A delicate voice asked primly, breaking the detente.

Victor whirled to face the man, no - the _dragon,_ beside him, and hissed, "Yuuri! That's not the point!"

Prince Yuuri Katsuki looked back with an arched brow, "No, I am merely curious as to what proportion of my being would satisfy this human's bloodlust."

Yuri's face darkened and pointing an accusing finger at Yuuri hissed, "Stay out of this, dragon! If that is even what you are, you may have fooled him, but you won't fool me. I'll get to you later."

Victor closed his eyes. Yeah, this wasn't going to go over well.

And sure enough…

Prince Yuuri let out a short huff of laughter, before derisively looking at a rapidly reddening Yuri and said, air tinged with imminent danger, " _You_ will get to _me_ later? Fool. I ruled the world before your ancestors had even stepped foot out of the ocean. Mark your words before I mark them for you."

Victor's mouth was suddenly a lot drier than it had been moments before. But he somehow spoke, trying to stave off the incoming blood bath despite the morbid curiosity about the potential winner of said blood bath. Huh, Victor Nikiforov, The Peacemaker, that was a title he'd never thought he'd have.

"Settle down, Yura. He _is_ a dragon, that much I can say for sure. _Trust me._ " Victor said, mind flashing to earlier in the day when Prince Yuuri had demonstrated just how _much_ of a dragon he was.

And people said _he_ was flashy.

Yuri looked back, betrayal in his eyes, and hissed, "What do you mean, "trust me," you're the one who got us into this mess!"

Victor winced, which, you know, fair.

Prince Yuuri sniffed elegantly (how???) and loftily said, turning back to face Victor, seemingly having dismissed Yuri, and said, "Do you have any clothes that don't make me feel like I'm being flayed? I prefer my flayings biannual and _scheduled_."

_What._

Victor blinked and ignoring Yuri's comically widened eyes and conflicted expression as if he couldn't decide whether his rage was worth passing up the chance to ask about binnual _flaying,_ said in as polite a tone as he could manage, "Sure thing, Your Highness, give me just one moment. I'll find you just the thing. Yura - ah - could I borrow you for a sec?"

Yuri, looking more conflicted than ever, followed as the Prince sat down next to their equipment.

Still smiling, Victor dragged Yuri away and waited until they were out of earshot but could still keep the prince in view.

"So." Victor started, only to be interrupted by Yuri grabbing his shoulders, leaning in close and with frantic eyes, whisper screaming, " _What the fuck are we gonna do?!_ "

And maybe it said something about the state of the situation that the only thing Victor could feel anymore was a kind of warmth at Yuri's inclusion of the plurality of their mutual doomedness.

Victor kept smiling, making sure to keep an eye on Prince Yuuri who was now - yep - curiously sniffing aluminium foil, as Yuri furiously said, "What are we gonna tell the Paladin?! We were told to hand over every finding but we can't just _hand_ the dragon over to him! Who knows what that rich fuck will do to him! Victor!"

Smiling serenely, Victor looked away from Prince Yuuri Katsuki who was now tentatively licking the aluminium foil, and said with confidence he did not feel, "Yura, we are going to steal a dragon."

"Aw, _fuck_." Yuri whispered under his breath, shoulders slumping, "I had a feeling you were gonna say something like that."

Nodding to himself, Victor patted Yuri on the shoulder before power-walking away and trying to convince a disgruntled dragon prince of an extinct species that aluminium foil wouldn't make a tasty meal.

Shaking his head, Yuri started his preparations.

They were going to steal a dragon, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed that!
> 
> I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or on tumblr! But no presh!
> 
> See you next time! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Check out the rest of the awesome previews from the other creators in the [ Isekai Zine](https://isekaiyoizine.tumblr.com)! 
> 
> If you liked the above, I would love to hear from you in the comments! There is a lot more coming your way for this AU!
> 
> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://satbiym.tumblr.com), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/satbiym),[Pillowfort](https://www.pillowfort.io/satbiym) or even Discord if you're so inclined.
> 
> See you next time! <3


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